Social Media and Body Image Blog Series #2: Tips for Combatting the Negative Effects of Social Media
By Jamie Nelson
Part 2 of a three-part blog series created for Psy 460W, Psychology of Women, in Spring 2023.
Social media is a huge part of our society. It is difficult to prevent comparison when you are constantly exposed to hundreds of highlight reel social media posts by friends, family, and celebrities. Young women are especially subject to the compare and despair mentality that negatively affects mental health, body image, and self-esteem. Engaging in this mentality can lead to self-photo editing which can initiate a downward spiral into an eating disorder.
Cross-sectional study results showed that girls who regularly shared self-images on social media, relative to those who did not, reported significantly higher overvaluation of shape and weight, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, and internalization of the thin ideal (McLean, Paxton, Wertheim, & Masters, 2015). Engaging in photoshopping and image manipulation causes dissatisfaction with your real body by fabricating an ideal body. Although it may not be consciously processed, the message that is being sent to our brains is that we are not good enough. There are ways to ensure you combat the compare and despair mentality prior to feeling the need to edit your images, cut your calories, or skip a meal.
Awareness is everything
To prevent the compare and despair mentality you must be mindful of the content you are being exposed to and how it is making you feel. Emotional responses are invaluable insights into the state of our mental health, satisfaction with body image, and self-esteem level. Use them as a guide for your actions. You can either encourage or discourage the feelings from happening again. You can take a step back and appreciate your body for what it does for you every day or you can go in your camera roll and photoshop pictures that you are unhappy with. One of those two options is clearly more proactive than the other.
Photoshopping education
Nowadays, people are downloading social media apps and creating profiles at a younger and younger age. The abundance of information is overwhelming for naïve minds, especially, when they cannot identify heavily edited videos and photos. Dr Joanna Silver, Lead Psychologist Therapist at Orri, states “It’s imperative for young people to be educated on photoshopping, so they are aware that these images are often not real.” Education is a tool that should be used to teach young people about the fabrications of social media to prevent the compare and despair mentality.
Treat your social media feed like a house party
When you invite people to your home you are very selective. You do not want discouraging or negative people in your home so why are you inviting them into your mind? You have complete control over who you follow. If someone’s content is not beneficial, unfollow them. Choose a social media feed that is positive and inspiring.
Go offline
If the previously stated tips are not preventing the compare and despair mentality, it may be time to take a step away from social media. It is extremely difficult to fully disconnect from the online world, but it is the most beneficial. It does not eliminate feelings of jealousy or insecurity, but it can negate the impact of social media comparison.
References
Buchholz, L. (2023, January 16). Compare and despair: The disastrous impact of Social Media. March8. Retrieved April 26, 2023, from https://march8.com/articles/compare-and-despair-the-disastrousimpact-of-social-media
McLean, S. A., Paxton, S. J., Wertheim, E. H., & Masters, J. (2015). Photoshopping the selfie: Self photo editing and photo investment are associated with body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 48(8), 11321140. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22449